Process for the reduction of ores



C. G. COLLINS. PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION OF'ORESA APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, I920- Patented Mar. 22,1921.

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W. 5 i A 7? INYENTOR Uala C'oZZa'rzs C. G. COLLIIS. PROCESS FOR THE REDUCTION OF ORES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1920.

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INVENTOR 1 562282 aazzam B A ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALEB G. COLLINS, OF WOODMERE, NEW YORK, ASSIGITOR TO C. AMORY STEVENS, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.-

PROCESS ron THE nnncc'rron or ones/ Application filed March 26, 1920. Serial No. 368,973.

To allvwhomc't may concern:

Be it known that I, CALEB Gnozrnn COL- LINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodmere, county of Nassau, State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Reduction of Ores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the reduction of ores, and while applicable in ageneral way, is particularl adapted to the extraction-of aluminum rom ores containing alumina, reducing at the same time, however, the other metals in the ore.

The invention consists in a process for the.

nascent state, and also that the carbon of the sawdustis an aidto the reduction of the ore.

In order that my process may be clearly set forth and easily understood, I have illustrated the accompanying drawings a preferred form of furnace in which the process may be carried out; and in describing the process, reference will be made to these drawings, it being understood that my invention resides in the process itself, the particular form of apparatus used in carrying itout being immaterial. In these drawings, Figure 1 shows a furnace in vertical section approximately on the line 11 of Fig, 2, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. r

The furnace comprises a number of ore chambers, 1, 2, 3. These are preferably in- 4 closed by walls 4 of fire brick, inclined so as to form an ore chamber tapering from a narrow opening at the top to a greater width atthe bottom to faeilitatethdpas e of the fore, The wallseof adjacentorec ambers Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1 921.

are spaced to provide passages 5 for the furnace ases for heating the ore, and spaces 6 at t e lower parts for cooling the ore before removal.

Heat is provided by a fire on the grate 7 vdisposed in a fire box 8 arranged along the ends of the ore chambers. The gases pass through openings 9 into the heat passages5 end ore chambers and the walls 10 of the furnace, and pass upward through the passages 5 being guided over a len th ath by bafilhs'll to afford op'portunil y or the heat to be transmittedto the ore before the gases reachthe stacks 12. As the gases still retain some heat as the pass up the stacks,

they are led by a con ucting pipe 13 into a preheating device 14 where they pass around a container 15 and escape by the chimney 1'6.

The ore mixture is fed to the furnace by a hopper 17 which discharges into the preheatlng container 15. This container is preferabl rotatably mounted and slightly inclined, so that the ore is heated as it passes through, and emerges at the other end, being guided by a chute 18 into a hopper 19, hav ing individual hoppers 20 leading to the several ore chambers. In-orderto distribute the ore mixture evenly to the several individual hoppers 20, the ore from the chute 18 strikes a guide plate 21. The apparatus should be operated at such a rate as to always keep the ore chambers ;full, and thereby prevent access of air, gases formed.

in the chambers however beiiig'permitted to escape by percolating up through the ore mixture in the hoppers.

As the ore passes down through theore chambers, it receives heat through the walls, and the treatment of the ore takes place, until the ore passes below the line of the separating bafiles or walls 22 which separate the heating chambers 5 from the cooling chambers 6, whereupon the treated ore commences tocool down, and is removed, preferably by means of a screw conveyer 23 which draws the ore out and discharges it may be removed at will. The speed of operation may be controlled by the conveyor screw 23 and a device including a drum 25 provided with a plurality of buckets or vanes 26 which is rotatably mounted just "between the ore chambers, and between the ,into a receiving chamber 24 from which it above the conveyer, and serves to break up the ore and keep it moving'at a uniform rate.

The process as carriedout in the form of apparatus shown consists in first reducing I prefer to use sawdust, impregnated with soda or other alkalis.

This mixture passes through the preheater and into the chambers 1, 2, 3, the ore mixture in the hoppers preventing access of air to the interior during the heating operations, and the furnace is fired to produce a heat within the chamber preferably in the neighborhood of- 1400 Fahrenheit.

Since the apparatus is arranged for continuous operation, the length of time for heating to complete the reduction may be regulated by controlling the speed of operation of the devices for breaking and removing the treated ore, so that by the time the ore reaches the level of the cooling chambers,

the reduction will be complete, and the product may be removed.

The proportions of sodium chlorid and sawdust naturally vary with the particular ore-being treated, but in general the quantity of carbon may be about 5% ofthe quantity of ore, the sodium chlorid about 3% and the sawdust impregnated with alkali about 2%. 7

Having now described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The process of reducing aluminum from ores which consists in comminuting and mixing the ore, a carboniferous material, and sodium chlorid, subjecting the mixture to heat, and preventing access of air to the mixture during the heating.

2. The process of reducing aluminum from ores which consists in comminuting the ores, and treating them under the influence of heat and while preventing access of air, with carboniferous material, sodium chlorid, and oxalates.

3. The process of reducing aluminum from ores which consists in comminuting and mixing the ore, sawdust previously impregnated with 'alkali and sodium chlorid, and subjecting the mixture to heat while preventing access of air.

4. The process of reducing aluminum from ores which consists in comminuting, and mixing the ore, carboniferous material, sawdust previously impregnated with alkali, and sodium chlorid, and subjecting the mixture to heat whilepreventing access of air.

In testimony whereof I- have signed my name to this specification.

CALEB G. COLLINS. 

